From today’s Independent:
The Taliban, whose extreme interpretation of Sharia law and its harsh punishments made Afghanistan one of world’s most repressive and reviled regimes, have agreed to soften their position on such things as beards and burqas as part of a trade-off in negotiations with the Afghan government…Although the new stance shows a shift in the Taliban posture, some demands are certain to be rejected by both President Karzai’s government and the Americans. They include the stipulation that all foreign forces should withdraw from Afghanistan within six months.
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